Mike Shanahan: Redskins’ starting running back is a secret

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan knows who his starting running back is going to be this season. But he isn’t telling.
Shanahan said at his press conference today that he has a first choice among the three running backs on his roster (2011 fourth-round pick Roy Helu, 2011 sixth-round pick Evan Royster and 2012 sixth-round pick Alfred Morris), but he considers the question of which one of them will be the primary ball carrier when the Redskins open the season against the Saints to be a secret.

Redskins @Redskins

Shanahan says the two sophomore RB's have made "tremendous progression" in pass protection. Starter for Week 1 is known, but a secret.

1 Sep 12

During his years with the Broncos, Shanahan had a great track record of selecting running backs in the later rounds of the draft and getting production out of them. In Washington he hasn’t been quite as successful on that front yet, but all three of the young running backs on the roster have shown promise. One of those three may just turn out to be one of the league’s leading rushers, as Shanahan had so often with the Broncos, but if Shanahan is expecting that from one of his running backs, he’s not saying which one.

source: PFT.com 
author: Michael David Smith

Manning hasn’t ruled out Redskins, yet

On Thursday afternoon, Chris Russell of ESPN 980 in Washington (a radio station owned by Redskins owner Daniel Snyder) reported that quarterback Peyton Manning has informed the Redskins that Peyton isn’t interested in joining the team.

A source with knowledge of the situation disputes that account, telling PFT that Manning has not told the Redskins to take his name off their wish list.

Yet.

So Manning hasn’t told the Redskins he’s out, but that doesn’t mean he’ll eventually pick the Redskins. It also doesn’t mean he’s genuinely interested.

I continue to believe he isn’t, and that he won’t be. Though it seems a little silly to avoid the entire conference out of deference to Eli, it’s hard to imagine Peyton joining the NFC East. And it’s hard to imagine Peyton coexisting with Kyle Shanahan, since each guy will want to run the offense. And it’s hard to imagine Peyton not having a case of bitter beer face at that thought of playing at FedEx Field the day after the turf gets torn up by a pair of college teams.

Still, for now, he hasn’t said no. In time, he likely will.

And while we don’t doubt that someone within the organization told Russell that Manning has told the team “thanks” and “no thanks,” it’s hard not to wonder whether the Redskins are trying to slide off the radar screen, in the hopes of swooping in and snatching Manning.

source:  PFT.com
author:  Mike Florio
photo via AP/Getty